Friday Sips

Domaine Chapuis has become a firm fixture in our line-up of $20 French Chardonnay wines from Burgundy that we offer every year. 2012 is our 3rd vintage that we are offering, and what a stunner it is!! Based in the northern reaches of the Macon region, specifically Mancey, this Domaine's white wine is one for those who appreciate purity and detail as it is aged without suffering in new oak.

2012 is superior to the delicious 2011 and is on par (but different) than the super 2010. Sterling aromas of mineral, lemon-tart, pear and nectarine, this is a wine of both dimension and dexterity. Richly-textured from being in neutral wood for 6-9 months, plenty of livewire tension to support the intensity. Handsomely crafted with terrific breadth of flavor that extends all the way back to the tangy, classy finish that possesses sneaky extension, this wine is perfect for roasted or grilled chicken, mushroom pasta and just about any fish preparation.

A 30 acre Domaine that has been in the Morin family since 1650, Olivier Morin took a long, strange trip into the world of wine. After studying oenology in Beaune, Olivier worked for 10 years in radio as both an announcer and as a night-time DJ before giving up the rock~n~roll lifestyle to take over the family Domaine alongside his brother in 1992. The appellation of Chitry is bucolic beauty at its finest. Located in the Yonne, slightly under 10 miles from Chablis yet with both similarities and differences in soils and overall terroir.

I almost cringe when pundits refer to this as ‘baby Chablis', mostly because the wines from this region maintain their own personalities quite well. There is piercing minerality here but there is also an abundance of yellow apple, white flowers and subtle peach tones. In the mouth it seems to pirouette like a ballerina on speed before it gains depth and tenderness with a combo of marine and fine spice aspects arriving on the finish. Tres prêt a boire! Enjoy with scallops, prawns or soft-ripened cheeses.

Hypnotized and Naked. Damn, that would be a great title for a country music record but it could also be the title for just about any delicious unoaked Chablis. In this case with an artist on the level of Louis Michel, it would be akin to country music royalty like Johnny Cash.

Before I expound any further with today's words, I must make a proclamation regarding Chablis. "Chablis is a region and village in France where Chardonnay is grown, not a jug wine!" We can thank the jagoffs at Gallo for that. The merde they call Chablis has NOTHING to do with the small region which surrounds the VILLAGE of Chablis in France! One of the grand scale producers, Louis Michel's 2012 is nothing short of stunning. The old vine intensity is evident as soon as you put the glass to your nose, this is essence of Chablis, possessing scents of oyster shell, wet stone and gunflint abound as well as some subtle citrus scents. Rich and pronounced texture with excellent tension, laser-focus and grip. The finish is long, stylish and definitely a gift from the soil, this scintillating white Burgundy can be enjoyed with crustaceans or grilled salmon done on a plank. No problem to age 4-6 more years as well.

These days, Pouilly-Fuisse's wines are not what you perceive from 25 years ago. Becoming popular in the 80s, seemingly everyone jumped aboard the wagon which caused overproduction which resulted in an inevitable quality slippage by the latter part of the decade. After the decline of its popularity, aside from 2 Domaines, this is an appellation that struggled through most of decade of the 90s. However, something occurred while the wine was out of favor; the farmers took over and small Domaines came to the forefront making better wines than ever. It used to be Domaine Ferret and Chateau Fuisse that were the best and the gap was very large. Now the gap has shrunk tremendously and someone like Pierre Vessigaud (along with many others) who followed their path, is making wines on par with these two stalwarts.

With Pierre's wine, Vieilles Vignes really means something. Farmed organically from 30 small parcels and with 40-80 year old vines, this wine is so damn good and won't cost a second mortgage to drink and age. The finesseful use of oak (no new barrels) meshes in nicely with the entire package as the wine unfolds and shows off nectarine, orange and underlying saline and stoniness. Hints of spiced butter come through and brings forth even more character. In the mouth it is lacy and shows impressive graceful movement beneath all of the saturation and depth from the old vines. Serious detail, class and electricity on the everlasting finish which leaves the drinker wanting more Think Pouilly-Fuissé doesn't age??? Pierre opened up a 2007 when I visited the Domaine back in February and it was sterling. Have this over the next 6-8 years with richer seafood like sole, crab or salmon.